Christmas Card Challenges - #9

This is my second post of the day. To see my Addicted to Stamps Challenge post, click here.


Hello!

It's time for another fun challenge over at Christmas Card Challenges - where we are making our Christmas cards throughout the year to make life easier at Christmas time. You should come on over and play - you'll thank yourself later! :D

This week is easy - really no reason not to get started - it's Anything Goes. So if you are wanting a chance to jump in, this would be a great week to do it.

 

I broke in my new Reverse Confetti dies - thanks to a giveaway/prize from a recent blog hop. :D Whoohoo!

 

 

 

 

I used the circle garland die with my Basic Grey Juniper Berry 6x6 pad (so fabulous) and the Fancy Words dies with CTMH Silver Glitter cardstock (super fabulous). Christmas is stamped from Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler and Voila! I've easily and quickly made a fun little CAS card.

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! I hope you come back again soon. :)   And, don't forget to check out the fun at Christmas Card Challenges!

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

Luke 16:15   NKJV (New King James Version)

     "And He said to them, 'You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.'"

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Addicted To Stamps Challenge #119 - Anything Goes

Hello!

Today begins another challenge over at Addicted To Stamps Challenge blog. This week would be a fun and easy way to link up with everyone - the challenge is Anything Goes. We would just love it if you would come play along with us. And, this week we are sponsored by the lovely Nicole over at CraftAddiction! One lucky participant will be chosen for the goodies - so please hop over and check it out. :)

 

 

 

 

 

With this fun card, I used a new (to me) technique of Reverse Stenciling. I read about it on another blog and was fascinated as soon as I saw it! I love messing around with Distress Inks, so any new technique to get more use out of them is aces in my book.

 

I used my MFT Large Circle Burst Stencil and Distress Inks in Wilted Violet, Cracked Pistachio, Salty Ocean, and Picked Raspberry. It was a little messy and I did get some on my hands, which drives me CRAZY. But it wasn't bad. One of the best investments I made for my crafty space was a craft mat by Ranger. (And honestly, I saw those being used in online card classes and video tutorials. I had never seen them before. - as I am sheltered. :D)

 

I die cut my watercolor panel after the inks had dried with MFT's Mini Scallop Rectangles STAX Dienamics and layered it over a scrap of CTMH cardstock from my stash die cut using Blueprints 13. I white heat embossed the verse from a Verve stamp and adhered it using foam tape with silver embroidery thread behind it. I just added a few clear sequins and that was it. It was fast once I made the watercolored stenciled panel. And the best part is there was so much ink on my stencil I have another piece waiting to be cut and used on a card. That's major for me. I rarely repeat anything  when I'm crafting. But I will be creatively "stuck" one day (probably far too soon) and that will be like a treasured find that may spark a new idea when I find it buried under something in there. It's like I'm making my own little treasure hunt for myself. :D

I'm also playing along with Freshly Made Sketches (Mine is turned longways) and Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Anything Goes.



 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit today! I do hope you will come back again soon!

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

Luke 18:27  NKJV (New King James Version)

   "But He said, 'The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.'"

 

 

 

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Christmas Card Challenges - #8

Hello!

It's another week over at Christmas Card Challenges. :) Time for a new challenge to help you jump start your stock pile of Christmas cards for this year. (It hurts a little bit to even say the word Christmas at this point, but my future self is already thanking my present self for working ahead!)

 

 

I used my Winter Warmth set from My Favorite Things and, shocker, stenciled a subtle background again. (Making backgrounds are my favorite right now).

 

 

 

I stamped the hat in first and second generation MFT Summer Splash and stenciled PTI Hibiscus Burst ink over the MFT Large Grid Stencil. The sentiment is from Paper Smooches Christmas Sampler. Paper strips are Lawn Fawn's Snow Day. The large accent panel is adhered using foam tape to give it a little more dimension.

 

 

Well, that's it for me this time! Short post - mostly due to the "Snow Day" - it's a Saturday but we have The Hubs home form work today (he works most Saturdays) and The Piglets worked me to death this morning being in and out! 



Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! Please come back again soon.

God Bless,
Mandy Pin It

PDE Linky Party

Hello!

We are in the midst of "Snowmageddon" here in TN. I'm in an area that rarely, if ever, sees snow and it is currently coming down hard and fast. I ran to the store this morning and was gone for less than an hour - and I left hours before it was supposed to start here - to return home in steady snow and covered roads. It's beautiful and we are enjoying it, i'll just feel better and be less distracted when The Hubs gets home. He works for a major manufacturing facility which never shuts down for weather and they've already cancelled the later shifts for today and cutting production early today.


So - that's what's going on in my world (as the news blares reports of wrecks and shut-down interstates all over Nashville in the background), I have a little crafty fun to share! A card for this week's PDE Linky Party!

I loved how this card turned out! Just some paper and dies fun. I'm trying to get more use out of both and get a little more creative with them.

I used some paper scraps to cut the fun curved banners using MFT Blueprints 25. I then die cut them on a Kraft panel using the Jumbo Stitched Fishtail Flags. The hello is stamped from WPlus9 DoodleBuds set. My card base is stamped with the text background stamp from MFT in a light gray ink (Soft Stone by PTI). I added a few die cut stars and tiny sequins to finish it off. 

Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit! Please come back again soon AND please hop over to the PDE Linky Party! It's Anything Goes -so a great chance to play along with ease. :)

God Bless, 

Mandy

I Peter 3:18  NKJV  (New King James Version) 

    "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,"

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Crafty Day Session

Hello!

I hope everyone is surviving the Winter Weather. We are slightly touched by it here in Middle TN. My family back home in Northwest TN is getting it far more than us. - Vastly different actually. My kids are praying for no school tomorrow (Ha!) but snow isn't supposed to get here until 10am, so I don't know how that will play out. It will be interesting, I'm sure. :)

I hung out in The Fortress today. I was mildly grumpy - gray skies weren't helping - and The Piglets were home on a Snow Day yesterday, so I had to make up for lost time! 8-)

I made some fun cards to play along with a few challenges....

This one is a fave - it cracks me up.

Playing with more Paper Smooches - they are always so fun to play with. So many different things you can do. I combined several sets here - My Peeps, for the owl; Freezy Fellas, for the tie and top hat (snort); and Incognito, for the mustache and sentiment. I pieced it together from a few of the phrases/words in the Icognito set. It cracks me up - and I have no idea what I will do with it. I don't know the first hipster, much less a slick one. :D MAYBE my Dad. He's slick, but not really a hipster. ; ) ha!

I also had a TON of fun inking my background (and others) with the smooshing technique. I finally got around to trying it. I just love the look of the watercolor backgrounds and have been ogling so many on blogs and Pinterest these days. I've done it some, but can't always get very happy with it. This method may be better for me. I had one failed attempt and another trial then went pretty well. I still have it out on my desk. I have to find something that works with the colors I tested out.

I'm playing along with the current Paper Smooches challenge - Use 4 colors: Brown, Tan, Green, and Blue  (Prismacolor pencils on my owl and Cracked Pistachio & Salty Ocean Distress Inks in the background).  And with Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge - Create With a Critter

  





I'm still not finished having fun with my MFT LLD Hug in a Mug set. It is so unusual for me not to be bored with a set like this yet. (Shhhh. Do not repeat that - it's terrible.) But, I'm still loving this one. Maybe it's because it can be used for several different occasions?

 

 

I wanted to play along with Merry Monday - Hot Bevies challenge while I had the chance. That was just the perfect excuse to use this set again. 8-) I used the sketch over at the MFT Challenge Blog for my jumping off point.

 

I used the MFT Diagonal Stripes background stamp, Lawn Fawn Cranberry ink, MFT Double Stitched Rectange Dienamics, MFT Mini Scallop Circle Dienamics, Blueprints 13, and Blueprints 23. The cardstock strips are scraps from my stash (Blue CTMH and Dark Brown Bazzil). I did ink the edges of my diecuts with matching inks, but I'm super bummed it doesn't show up in my photo. Especially the soft brown inking on the marshmallows. Snort. It's ADOR-able. :D (And, I've seen that elsewhere - I can't take credit for that brilliance.)

 

 

    

 

 

Phew. One more card.

 

 

 

I had to make myself do a little "Valentine-y" stuff. It's not my favorite, but I do really like how this one turned out. And, I am getting more in the spirit of things. Fun Fact: It's a re-do! I had Epic Failure Day in The Fortress yesterday. Note to self: No amount of coffee can make up for lack of sleep when it comes to creative brain power. Ugh. Kids were out on a snow day, it was called out at 5:30am. It was just a messy day for me for various reasons -- too tired. Anyhoo! I redeemed it today, in my mind.

 

The fun little envelope and sentiment is from Sugar Pea Designs Special Delivery set. It' s just adorable. I had no idea how cute that die would turn out until I popped it through there. Score! The fabulous hearts border die is also SugarCuts. The sketch over at the Sugar Pea blog is my inspiration, but I had to move one element a little bit to get happy with it.

 

 

My original card had the heart border on a die cut rectangle and the envelope at the top, closely mirroring the sketch. (I also had pink and blue heart borders. Ick.) I just hated it. I didn't even want to mail it to anyone. Ridiculous, I know. So I decided to work on it again today - ditched that rectangle and added "freer" heart borders in dark and light pink, as I originally planned. Love it. I used the twine bow for the bottom strip, because no card is complete without a twine bow and scooted the envelope down, like the non-conformist I am. :D

 

The kraft panels I kept from my original card - they are stamped in white pigment ink with the MFT Bold Diagonal stripes background stamp. The sequins I added as a last minute embellie are iridescent, but super cool because they are picking up the color of those pink hearts in the photo. Happy accident. Nerd alert.

 

 

I'm also playing along with The Paper Players - CAS Valentine challenge.

 

 

 

Well, this was  real doozy of a post. If you looked through all of that, I thank you. I so hope you come back to visit again soon! Pretty please.

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

I Peter 3:16-17   NKJV  (New King James Version)

    "having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your conduct in Christ may be ashamed. For it is better, if it is the will of God, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil."

 

 

 

 

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ABC Christmas Challenge - B for Baubles

 

Hello!

 

It's another fun challenge over at ABC Christmas Challenges starting today - brought to you by the letter B. B for Baubles.

 

Our sponsor this week is Bugaboo Stamps.

Bugaboo Stamps

One lucky Random winner will win 7 Digi images for their choice

I'm using a digi from Bugaboo, Meowy Christmas on my card.

 

I colored the cute little kitties (We happen to have 3 kitties in our household. They run the show, let me just tell you. They know it, too.) with Copic markers and then sponged Distress Ink Broken China around the top of the panel die cut with MFT Mini Scallop Stitched Rectangle. I sponged PTI's Soft Stone ink around the bottom, under the kitties. The sentiment is stamped from MFT Jingle All the Way set. I added all the little adhesive pearls (Recollections, from my stash from long ago) as the snow and used a SSS Falling Snow stencil as a guide. The focal piece is layered over a blue glitter panel (from my *old* stash) die cut with Blueprints 13.

 

 

I'm also playing along with AAA Cards, Winter Wonderland challenge, Clear It Out's Winter / Snowflake challenge (pearls from my stash as falling snow), and A Snowflake's Promise "Anything Goes - Christmas/Winter Theme".

 

     

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! I hope you will come back soon. Please don't forget to check out the fun over at ABC Christmas Challenge. Play along with us!

 

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy 

 

 

Romans 14:8    NKJV (New King James Version)

   "For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's."

  

 

 

 

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Addicted to Stamps & More #177 - Make Your Mark

Hello!

It's time for another challenge over at Addicted to Stamps and More and it's "Make Your Mark".

 

It includes watercolors, markers, color pencils - anything to mark up your project.

 

 

 

I chose to use Distress Inks to watercolor my background and Copics for my fun little Lawn Fawn images. I just love these little coffee stamps and dies from the Love You a Latte set.

 

 

 

I die cut the watercolor cardstock using MFT Blueprints 13 and also cut a piece of Echo Park "Head Over Heels" pattern paper with the same die. I used MFT Snow Drifts die to cut the wavy edge on the bottom of my panel to allow the snippet of pretty paper to show. I added water and drops of Distress Ink in Picked Raspberry and Spun Sugar for my background. Once dry, I added the colored images with foam tape and stamped the sentiment. I used my twine bow (I can hardly make a card without one) down near the bottom to ground my mugs. Much fun to create. And, I was really happy with the colors, even though I don't usually dig the Valentine's theme. (I know - it's like a betrayal to my card maker's soul. But Valentine's colors and all just don't do it for me.)

 

 

I am also playing along with the current Lawnscaping Challenge - Watercoloring, Simon Says Stamp - Ombre challenge (my watercolor background), and The Paper Players - Clean & Simple Valentine.

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! I hope you will come back soon - and I hope you will hop over to check things out at Addicted to Stamps & More; play along while you are there.

 

 

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

 

Romans 14:19   NKJV   (New King James Version)

      "Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another."

 

 

 





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Christmas Card Challenges #7

Hello!

It's another week over at Christmas Card Challenges. So that means another week of card making to reduce the stress for next Christmas. I think that is so exciting. :D

This week's inspiration is a photo.

 

I went with some gold on kraft to keep it all monochromatic and neutral looking like the photo. And because kraft. You can never go wrong there.

 

 

I used my PTI Enclosed: Bell die cut with a gold foil cardstock and a gold dotted vellum from a past CTMH paper kit. It looks great together and the picture doesn't do it justice. It's layered over a kraft card base using foam tape. I used light weight spackling over a Hero Arts chevron style stencil. The sentiments are stamped in gold ink on white cardstock strips. All pretty simple!

Now it's your turn to be inspired by the photo and play along. Get a head start for next year - the future you will love you for it. :D


I am also playing along with Sweet Stampin' Christmas "Bows" challenge, Cards In Envy "New and Shiny" challenge, and 4 Crafty Chicks "Chevrons" challenge.

         



Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! And, please don't forget to join the fun at Christmas Card Challenges! :)

 

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

 

James 1:19-20   NKJV  (New King James Version)

   "So then, my beloved brethern, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

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Lawnscaping Challenge - Winter Wonderland

Hello!

Blow me down - two posts in one day. That wasn't my original intent - but I decided to go ahead and share this fun little Lawn Fawn card I made this week. I used the dog from Critter From the Burbs, but I actually got it digitally from the Copic Markers - Online Card Classes practice sheet. I've been going through watching all those classes/videos for the past couple of weeks and trying to further my practice with coloring. I liked this little guy enough that I decided to cut him out and put him on a card.

 

 

I layered the gorgeous patterned papers from LF Bokeh in the Snow 6x6 pad and die cut them with a Stitched Scalloped Rectangle die. I attached the trimmed puppy and then stamped, colored, and trimmed the antlers from a reindeer in a MFT stamp set I have. I added a sparkly red gem on his nose and the sentiment from the LF Winter Fox set. The whole panel is popped up on foam tape to give it a little more dimension and I added a small twine bow (Sparkle Green Lawn Trimmings) and clipped it on with a tiny clothespin from Recollections. Very simple card - but so fun. I just love how that puppy jumps off the page! :)

 

I wanted to play along with the Winter Wonderland challenge over at Lawnscaping Challenges.

 

 

 

 

I'm also playing along with the Holly Jolly Christmas Challenge - Use Designer Paper and Freshly Made Sketches - current sketch (mine is rotated).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to visit! I hope you will come again soon. :)

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

Colossians 1:16   NKJV   (New King James Version)

     "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him."







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Playing around with a few challenges

Hello!

I'm back today to share a few more cards I made during a crafty session late last week. I took some time to just play with some new-to-me techniques and items in my stash. Items that are fairly new and I've barely used them. Surprise, surprise.

We are finally enjoying (and by enjoying, I mean NOT enjoying) winter temps here in Tennessee. And, egads, it feels COLD when you drop 20 degrees overnight. The kids were playing outside in thsirts and shorts just a few short weeks ago. Now, I'm warming up the car before we leave every morning.  (And it's in the garage!) It's not horrible - it just feels frigid because we didn't have a chance to get used to cold. But, as I mentioned, we are in Tennessee. It's nothing unusual for me to run the air conditioner and heat in the same day. Soak on that one for a few while I show you a card or three.....  :D

Ok - so this one is the results of the first time I tried out the stripey die cutting that I was so happy with. (No pun intended) I talked about it and have shared a card using the same die cut cardstock strips here. I laid out cardstock strips and cut the word from MFT Happy Trio die set. It's laid over a panel sponged in PTI Hibiscus Burst ink over the Large Grid stencil (also MFT). I stamped the rest of the sentiment from the MFT Totally Happy stamp set in PTI Smokey Shadow ink. The card base is MFT After Midnight cardstock.

This card was inspired by the color palette over at MFT's color challenge. 


 I made myself play around with it because these aren't colors I would usually combine and I thought it'd be a good growth experience for me to branch out there. Snort. I couldn't even type that without laughing. I'm cutting up. But, it's really not a color scheme I would use so I wanted to try it out - see if I could do something I liked. And, honestly, I made two using these colors and I did not like the other one. Here it is....

 

 

It's just "okay" for me. I don't love it. At all. It was a good idea, I guess. Anyhoo. I used the sentiment from LLD Tickled Pink, the cupcake dies from LJD Sweet Treats, and a smiley face from Paper Smooches. I robbed it out of one of mine, but I don't remember which now. It's ok - just about anything Paper Smooches is good for getting a face out to "fun up" any stamp or die you have. You should have at least one in your stash if you don't. 8-)

 

With my "Happy" card, I'm also playing along with CAS(E) This Sketch! and Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge - Stencil It.

 

 

 

 

 

This next card is a "bonus". :D I made it with leftovers from my first Paper Smooches cloud card. (Second card in this post.) 

 

 

 

I used the outline of the stripey clouds I die-cut and didn't add anything to the center. So I have the fun stripey outline over a dotted circle, I masked off and stenciled. I used MFT Grape Jelly ink and Broken China Distress Ink with my MFT Large Circle Burst stencil. The sentiment is from PS Spiritual Sampler.

 

 

I used four colors again, (Blue, Purple, Green, and the mixed Blue/Purple in the stenciled area) for the current Paper Smooches challenge.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

I'm submitting this little gem for CASology's "Open" Challenge (my open die cut clouds), Stampin' Royalty's One Layer Challenge, and Simon Says Monday Challenge - Stencil It.

 

 

 

 

Ok, that's it for me this morning! I have an actual agenda for myself today. (After a day of indulging myself on the couch in a catatonic state - I called it "The Calm After The Storm.) I had the post-holiday, no appointments, the house is clean, what do I do kind of day. Not complaining - but it feels weird to be lost like that! haha.



 

 

Thanks SO much for stopping by to visit! I hope you liked what you saw and will come visit again soon. (Or follow so you won't miss a post - that's totally cool, too. :D )

 

 

God Bless,

Mandy

 

 

 

Colossians 1:13-14  NKJV  (New King James Version)



    "He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins."

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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